When it comes to local Class A high school baseball...

April 17, 1985|By Marty FisherSENTINEL CORRESPONDENT

When it comes to local Class A high school baseball action, David Wellons and Rob Helmling have the competition all sewn up.

Only juniors, each is considered by Coach Glenn Miller to be a leader of the Class A, fourth-ranked Orlando Lake Highland Prep baseball team (15-3 overall, 9-0 in district play) with a particular penchant for beating crosstown rivals.

With a pair of standout performances last week, the two helped Lake Highland hold onto a 15-game winning streak after losing the first three games of the season.

Wellons, the Highlanders' top pitcher with an impressive 1.49 earned-run average, who also doubles as the shortstop, is one of the few pitchers around with the secret to stopping the potent bats of Class A, fifth-ranked Orlando Trinity Prep. Wellons owns a five-game winning streak against Trinity that dates to early last year.

Last Thursday, Wellons added his fifth straight victory against Trinity with a clutch 2-1 complete game victory. Wellons also went 2-for-4 at the plate, scoring one run and boosting his batting average to .520. The victory helps give the Highlanders the edge for the home-field advantage in the district playoffs that begin the last week of April.

In the Mount Dora Bible Invitational tournament in late March, Wellons also threw a no-hitter against Trinity that originally gave Lake Highland the spark it needed to move up on the list of the state rankings.

Lately, Helmling, Lake Highland's No. 2 pitcher, who also catches, has been doing much of the same to the Orlando Luther squad. Last Tuesday, Helmling threw a no-hitter against the Crusaders in an 11-1 rout, helping his own cause with strong day at the plate. He knocked the Crusaders' pitching around for an RBI triple to raise his batting average to .463 with 14 RBIs -- second on the team only to Wellon.

It was also the second time this season he has not allowed Luther a single hit. Two weeks ago, Helmling threw three innings of hitless ball against them in a combined no-hitter. In Tuesday's performance, he completely dominated Luther, striking out eight.

Wellons and Helmling have been selected as the Orange Sentinel's ''Players of the Week''.

Wellons (5-2), besides carrying a 3.8 grade point average, has thrown a complete game in each of his pitching appearances this season. In the 42 innings, he has only walked 12 batters.

Miller also points out his consistency at the plate. Wellons, who was the team's most valuable player last year, leads the team with an incredible .920 on-base percentage, leads the team with 2 homers, 15 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. Helmling is 4-1 with three complete games.

''David Wellons is our No. 1 pitcher,'' Miller said, in his third year at Lake Highland. ''He's strong on the mound and has good control. He's very fast and his speed gets him on base. If he hits the ball on the ground he has a good chance of getting on base. Occasionally, he can also hit for power.

''Rob Helmling has a good arm and a good release and I think if he's going anywhere in baseball it'll be as a catcher. Down here in Class single A, you put your best athletes where they will help you. He hits the ball hard, has a good eye and doesn't strike out much.''

Wellons doesn't like to think it's only him that plays well in the big games against the team's rivals. ''Everybody on the team gets fired up when we play them,'' he said. ''When everybody plays better, it makes my job easier.''